3 New-Mom Mistakes I Wish I Never Made

As new parents, we worry about making mistakes with our new little delicate delivery — our baby. I made a few mistakes, but they had nothing to do with our new arrival; instead, the things I screwed up were all things that had nothing to with baby and everything to do with me. If I could tell my pregnant-self one thing, it would be to remember that your body will be an ever-changing creature, so don't give up on it.

I was frustrated when I started back at work after baby and none of my work pants fit. I'd squeezed into my jeans but the unforgiving fabrics of professional attire wouldn't budge an inch (divas), so I bought two new pairs of pants to get me through (or, to my chagrin, to start my new wardrobe of sizes a wee-bit bigger than before). It wasn't two weeks of being back on the job that I lost those final pounds... and then some. I was breastfeeding , so my body was burning the midnight oil when it came to calories. Plus, when I returned to work, I was more active and less sedentary, even with a desk job. Thankfully I'd just purchased those two pairs of pants, so I hadn't spent a ton of money. Now they're too big and for awhile, even my old clothes were too big. Lately I've begun slowly weaning my son, so I only nurse in the evening and sometimes in the morning. The "bonus" pounds I lost have come back and I feel like I'm almost back to my old self.

Here are the three "mistakes" I made:

1. Getting Rid of My Old Clothes

It's also summer now, so I really regret throwing out nearly all of my summer clothes last year when I thought, "I'll never fit into these again!" I would keep your old clothes at least for a year, even if you're not fitting into them. I'll also be keeping those pants that became too big in preparation for my future post-pregnancy body. I'm learning that, even after almost a year post-birth, my body is still changing and rearranging!

2. Not Taking Care of My Skin

After the birth of my son, my skin changed dramatically. I had oily skin — and always had. One day when he was about three months old, I woke up and my skin was dry. Beyond dry. It was uncomfortable; still itchy and flaky dry after numerous coats of my old moisturizer. I finally broke down and bought cleanser and moisturizer for dry skin. It felt strange to go out and buy moisturizer because I'd never had dry skin before. But, I'm glad I caved. My skin felt so much better! Lo and behold, a few weeks ago, my former skin came back. One day, my face had the sheen of a grease slick and it was back to my roots as an oily girl. It may have to do with hormones, breastfeeding less or who knows? The point is that even your skin will throw you for a loop — even months after baby arrives. Thankfully, I'd kept all of my prior skin care products (mostly because they were expensive!), but I'd almost thrown them out on several occasions.

3. Throwing Out My Pre-Pregnancy Bras

I'm a small-chested girl (and proud of it!), so when my boobies swelled beyond my wildest expectations, I may have gone a little overboard and parted with my prior bras. The phrase "I'll never fit into this again!" reared it's ugly head again and out they went. Warning: when you stop nursing, your gals deflate. If you're losing baby weight on top of this, well... let's just say when you call "helloooo!" to them in their cavernous homes in a bra that's too big, you get plenty of echos in response. Speaking from the perspective of a respectable B-cup, it may be different for you. Hang on to your old bras for a year (or until you're done nursing) just in case.

Our bodies are amazing things, constantly adapting to our new roles. Don't stress, and for Pete's sake, don't discard everything that you own on the whim of your changing body. Just enjoy the ride! Your wallet will thank you later.